Academy

MAIN STREET VEGAN ACADEMY

Take your vegan outreach to the professional level by training as

an MSVA-Certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator (VLCE)

Dine gently. Live wisely. Make a difference.

Are YOU meant to be a Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator?

A Main Street Vegan® Lifestyle Coach and Educator (VLCE) is a practicing vegan who is certified to coach, counsel and educate individuals and groups on this health-promoting and compassionate way of eating and being in the world. As a Main Street Vegan-certified VLCE, you’ll be qualified to help individuals and groups go vegan, stay vegan, feel terrific, and be part of the wonderful ripple effect that’s saving the lives of people and animals, and helping heal the planet. In addition, you’ll learn at the Academy how to set up a Vegan Lifestyle Coaching practice, market yourself, speak for groups, and carry the vegan message.

Since our inception in 2012, we’ve realized that the VLCE certification and the business training we provide are relevant not only to those who want to do one-on-one coaching, group classes, and outreach, but to vegan entrepreneurs of every stripe. In addition to coaches, counselors, and educators, our graduates include people who are running vegan companies, shops, and restaurants, working for prominent animal rights and health-promotion organizations, writing books, podcasting, speaking at vegfests and other venues, and using their VLCE credential as part of a pre-existing profession in healthcare, nutrition, fitness, yoga, etc.

“This program inspires entrepreneurs and seeds vegan business endeavors of every sort. The curriculum is solid, the faculty top-notch, and the immersion experience and after-graduation support incomparable.” ~ Katrina Fox, Forbes.com

Graduate Camille DeAngelis, VLCE. Camille is also a published novelist and author the nonfiction book, Life Without Envy: Ego Management for Creative People.

Quick FAQ:

How long is the course? ~ 6 days, Friday afternoon to Wednesday midday.

How much is tuition? ~ $1995, with a $250 discount for payment in full within 30 days of acceptance.

What makes me qualified? ~ Being a dietary vegan over 18 who satisfactorily completes the application and possible phone interview, reads the seven required books (list sent upon acceptance), and listens to 21 hours of the Main Street Vegan podcast.

Where will I stay in New York City? ~ We are located in South Harlem half a block from the #2 and #3 subway line, easily accessible to the Upper West Side. Upon acceptance, we send you a list of nearby accommodations in a variety of price ranges, either within walking distance or an easy subway or Lyft/Uber/taxi ride away.

What is the class schedule? ~ Because we are dealing with a large number of instructors and field trip locations, the exact schedule is rarely ready until a week of so before class. Generally speaking, you’ll be in class from approximately 2:30 to 9:30 pm on Friday, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. other days, and 8:30 a.m. to 1 pm Wednesday. If you want to make this a vacation in NYC, we recommend adding a day or two onto your trip.

Is financial aid available? ~ We are a small, private program with no scholarships or other financial aid available at this time. We do accept all credit cards and we also work with no-interest, pay-over-time programs such as PayPal Credit.

What will we do during the course?

Ours is a 6-day, in-person intensive in New York City comprised of in-depth lecture presentations with our superb faculty faculty, and fabulous field trips to NYC restaurants and businesses.

“Victoria Moran creates a life-changing and revelatory experience for her students at Main Street Vegan Academy. The wealth of knowledge, passion, kindness and insight that Moran and her team of instructors bring to the course is nothing short of genius. My only complaint: having to leave when it was over. ~ Colette Rice, VLCE, Sacramento, CA

Welcome dinner, catered by Beyond Sushi, NYC.

Upcoming course dates

2018 courses will take place:

Spring: April 20-25 (this class is full and applications are closed)

Summer: June 22-27 (this class is full; there is a waiting list)

[Masters course for MSVA graduates only: Aug. 24-26, 2018]

Early fall: September 21-26

Late fall: November 2-7

“I feel privileged to have been a part of such an amazing, love-filled group and a truly extraordinary vegan coaching program. Priceless!” ~ Nadia No, MFT, VLCE, San Francisco

Advisory Board:

These renowned men and women from all sectors of the vegan movement comprise our board of advisors:

Carol J. Adams, author of Living Among Meateaters and The Sexual Politics of Meat

Demetrius Bagley, producer, Vegucated: Three People, Six Weeks, One Challenge

John Pierre, author, The Pillars of Health, and fitness trainer to Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi

MAIN STREET VEGAN® ACADEMY MISSION STATEMENT

Main Street Vegan Academy is committed to training committed vegans to help others adopt and maintain a positive vegan lifestyle and health-promoting diet, geared to the needs and preferences of the individual. We endorse no particular iteration of vegan diet or animal rights ideology, trusting the conscience of our graduates to live up to their highest light in furthering the ethic of reverence for life.

Core Faculty:You’ll be learning from skilled vegan educators and experts. Core faculty members teach at all Academy sessions except when their schedules take them away:

“Main Street Vegan Academy will forever be a pivotal experience in my journey. Having the opportunity to learn such a well-rounded arc of information and knowledge, has motivated and furthered my commitment to help others attain levels of health, happiness and purpose that the vegan lifestyle provides.” ~ Avital Weiss, VLCE, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Where does the program take place? Main Street Vegan® Academy is live and in person in New York City. We are located in South Harlem, just above Central Park, conveniently accessible via the #2 and #3 subway line, with a stop just half a block away. This is not merely a course; it’s an experience you’ll remember all your life. In NYC you’ll be introduced to, and taught by, some of the most influential people on the contemporary vegan scene, and you’ll learn alongside fellow MSVA students who will likely become your lifelong friends and business contacts. By coming here you’ll see the future of veganism: a city teeming with vegan restaurants, shops, events and more. Our field trips to restaurants, boutiques, and other vegan businesses make the MSVA program a unique and life-changing urban study/vacation, whether you live in the Northeastern U.S. or come from afar.

Who applies for this program?

Women and men from all walks of life — and, so far, twenty-one different countries — are part of the Main Street Vegan Academy family. In selecting students we look for a commitment to the vegan lifestyle, and the flexibility, open-mindedness, and willingness to undergo a morning-to-evening, 5+-day intensive immersion program. Participants have included men and women from the medical and allied health professions, business people, yoga instructors, culinary professionals, teachers, social workers and addiction counselors, IT professionals, military personnel, fitness trainers, students, stay-at-home moms, and more. Every class has students of all ages. (18 is the minimum age for attendance, although we can accept a younger teen attending the program with a parent. There is no upper age limit.)

To be accepted for the program, you need to be a dietary vegan already (that is, consuming no animal products, including fish, eggs, and dairy, regardless of how these are sourced). You also need to be open to learning more about all aspects of vegan living.

Prior to acceptance, we review each application and may conduct a phone interview with the applicant. Upon acceptance, a reading list is sent out and we do expect each participant to have read the books on the list prior to the start of his/her session. Listening to at least 21 episodes of the Main Street Vegan Podcast, covering a variety of topics (health, ethics, environmentalism, cuisine, fitness, etc.) is also required prior to the start of your course.

We are an Equal Opportunity program, embracing students without regard to race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, politics, or sexual orientation; we also welcome those of all vegan dietary preferences. We share some meals together and take any student allergies into account. We cannot, however, accommodate every food preference, so other than staying strictly vegan, organic where possible, and leaving out any allergens we’re informed of, we ask for a bit of dietary flexibility while you’re here. There is also absolutely no body-shaming at Main Street Vegan Academy. We welcome you and celebrate you precisely as you are.

“Wow! Victoria knows all the right stuff and the right people. Even the most knowledgeable vegan business person has something to gain from this course.” ~ Anndi Hahner, RN, VLCE, Kansas City, MO

How much is tuition?

Yes, we have dessert. (Compliments to Chef Fran Costigan, who teaches “The Art of the Food Demo”)

The program investment is $1995 per student. (The payment must be made in U.S. dollars or calculated to equal $1995 in U.S. dollars.) Once you have been accepted into the Academy, you may pay either:

A $495 nonrefundable deposit, required within 30 days to hold your place in class. You must pay the remaining $1500 within 60 days of the start of class.

Or full tuition upfront; you’ll receive a $250 discount ($1745 instead of $1995) for paying within 30 days of acceptance.

Either full tuition or the deposit must be received within one month of your acceptance in order for a place in class to be held for you. Upon acceptance, you’ll be sent a credit card invoice for either discounted upfront-pay tuition, or the deposit, as you stipulate on your application. If you prefer to pay via PayPal (and perhaps take advantage of PayPal Credit, their 9-months-same-as-cash program), that is another payment option.

The deposit is nonrefundable.If a true emergency (personal illness, death in the family, natural disaster, etc.) should keep you from attending the program, the deposit is transferable to one later course. If you’ve paid in full and an emergency arises, you’ll receive a refund of all but $495, which can be applied to one later course.The balance is due within 60 days of your course or you risk losing both your deposit and your place in class.Please do not apply if you are not serious about attending or if you are unsure of your ability to pay the tuition.

An immersion in every aspect of vegan philosophy and practice, as well as classes on the how-to’s of vegan coaching, vegan outreach, and vegan business

Some 40 hours of small group instruction and experiential learning with Victoria Moran and other expert faculty members and guest lecturers

Personal access to faculty and guest presenters, some of the most sought-after experts on vegan living in the U.S. today

Field trips to NYC vegan businesses and attractions

Diploma and professional certification as a Main Street Vegan® Lifestyle Coach and Educator (VLCE), prepared to coach individuals and groups on their vegan journey

Six days with Victoria Moran, celebrated author, speaker, educahttp://www.kite-hill.comtor, radio host, Holistic Health Counselor, Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator, Vegan of the Year 2012, and Peta’s Sexiest Vegan Over 50, female category, 2016/17. This is a boutique experience in a small-group setting. Victoria will teach daily and be available throughout the program to answer your questions personally. Your relationship with her, the other luminaries that comprise the MSVA faculty, and your classmates and alumni from other classes can last a lifetime

Not part of your tuition but offered to you as Victoria’s guest are a welcome dinner and an onsite lunch one day, plus light breakfast, afternoon snacks, coffee and teas, and Mountain Valley Spring Water. And one morning for just about every class, the cheese-and-yogurt experts of Kite Hill Foods stop by and regale us a breakfast to write home about.

“I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am for being a part of such an amazing course. I have learned and grown so much in a short time and I will be role modeling and transferring my knowledge to as many people as I possibly can during my travels and throughout the rest of my life.” ~ Louella Monaghan, VLCE, Perth, Western Australia

Marty Davey, MS, RD, our nutrition instructor and author of the interactive e-book, You’re Not Dead Yet: Nutrition for the Over-50 Crowd. She comes to NYC to teach from Columbia, SC, where she is working on a 5-year plant-based nutrition study for the National Institutes of Health.

And after graduation, you’ll receive:

An email compilation of course handouts from Victoria Moran and PowerPoint packs from several other instructors

Listing on the “Certified Vegan Coaches”page of MainStreetVegan.net at any point after graduation that you wish to add your listing

Access to the private Main Street Vegan Alumni group on Facebook

The MSVA Master List with contact information for your fellow VLCEs, a strong support network of Vegan Lifestyle Coaches & Educators from across America and around the world, including bloggers, chefs, health care professionals, personal trainers, image consultants, recipe creators, web designers, and others who can offer you advice and support

The opportunity to have your post(s) featured on the Main Street Vegan blog, a way to share your content with a wide audience who’ll learn about you, your website, and your business

Access to faculty with your questions and concerns

Private alumni-only mailings, including work leads and outreach opportunities, plus informal reunions in NYC and elsewhere

The option to be listed as a VIP (Vegan Information Point) with theAmerican Vegan Society, showcasing you as a vegan resource in your area

The opportunity, if you wish to partake of it, for further education with us in the Master Coach graduate program, a weekend intensive offered every one to two years — Note: Taking the master class is not required to remain a VLCE in good standing. Once you have taken the basic MSVA course, you are a member of the MSVA family and we’ll support you in every way possible. We also never come back to graduates with any additional fees, charges, or mandatory offerings of any sort.

The cache of being a Main Street Vegan-certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator. Our program is known throughout the plant-based community and the animal rights world as offering the highest quality instruction and ongoing networking opportunities.

For a photographic tour of the fabulousness of one student’s Main Street Vegan Academy experience, check out this slideshowfrom Elissa Blake Free, VLCE, Washington, DC, journalist and graduate who went on to a position at the Barnard Medical Center.

Carolina Molea, VLCE and Cordon Bleu chef, one of the owners of L’Artisanne Creative Bakery, an authentic French patisserie in Miami Beach, with Victoria Moran

What other costs will I incur?

You are responsible for your own travel costs, accommodations, and meals out, as well as transportation in NYC, and any shopping you do on field trips.

Recommendations for accommodations in a variety of price ranges are provided upon acceptance or earlier upon request. Manhattan’s Upper West Side or South Harlem are most convenient, although staying anywhere near the the #2 or #3 subway line works.

“I can’t fully express my gratitude to Victoria Moran for MSVA! The class was an incredible experience. Victoria put together an amazing lineup of presenters. This course was exactly what I needed to jump-start my vegan counseling business.”

~ Dianne Wenz, HHC, AADP, VLCE, West Orange, NJ

Important notes:

This course is designed to help you guide others to transition to and thrive with the vegan lifestyle. While you will receive several hours of health and nutrition training, you will not be a nutritionist. Being a certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator does NOT qualify you to provide medical advice or treat any illness. Any person looking to undergo a major change in diet should consult a licensed healthcare professional.

This is also not a culinary program:your expertise upon completion of this course will be to teach, guide, and counsel individuals and groups about vegan eating and living, as well as align the entrepreneurial gifts and talents you may bring to the table with your desire for extended vegan outreach.

While we give you a jam-packed educational experience in a short period of time and the support of our active alumni group afterwards, we make no guarantees about what any graduate will or will not accomplish upon completion of our program. Many of our graduates have successful practices and/or vegan businesses — and we can put you in touch with some of these if you’d like. We cannot, however, promise this outcome for everyone, nor do we promise that any graduate will necessarily earn income as a result of taking this course.

Ours is a certification program in which men and women who are already vegan learn to teach and counsel others. It is not a how-to-go-vegan course. If you’re looking for this kind of help, check out the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart, free and online, from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.If you’re in the New York City area, you can join the Main Street Vegan Support and Spirit Meetup Group for classes about going vegan and thriving vegan.

“I could not have imagined a better experience. Learning from Victoria Moran, hanging out with vegans aspiring to be of assistance to others, being back in the greatest city in the world, was exactly as fulfilling as I’d hoped it would be. At the risk of sounding trite, my biggest disappointment was that my class of the Main Street Vegan Academy had to come to an end.” ~ The Rev. Russell K. Elleven, EdD, DMin, LPC, NCC, CFLE, VLCE, Chicago, IL

Books by our alumni:Vegan Pregnancy Survival Guide, by Sayward Rebhal, VLCE; Vegan Pressure Cooking, by JL Fields, VLCE, also on our faculty teaching a knockout business class; The Answer Is Vegan, Carol Cymerint, RN, VLCE; and Animooves, by Jackie Demari Costello, LVCYT, VLCE. In addition, 60 graduates contributed recipes to The Main Street Vegan Academy Cookbook, by Victoria Moran and JL Fields, the #1 New Release in vegetarian diets on Amazon when it was published in December 2017.

Please apply only if (1) You are already a dietary vegan; (2) You are serious about attending the program; (3) You have the means to cover your tuition; and (4) You have sufficient dietary flexibility that you are able to enjoy meals in a group without a risk to you health (for example, we go to many restaurants and cannot guarantee a completely gluten-free experience)

Either full tuition ($1995 with a $250 discount for paying in advance = $1745) or a $495 nonrefundable deposit ($1500 balance due 60 days prior to the start of your course), must be received within 30 days of your acceptance or we cannot guarantee your place in class. Please do not apply if you are uncertain about taking the course, or if you are not willing or able to pay your tuition or deposit within 30 days; we do not have the staff or resources to deal with frivolous applications.

Ours is a boutique program accepting 21 students per class maximum. We understand that emergencies happen, but if you suspect that something may interfere with your being able to take the coursein which you’ve enrolled, please let us know sooner rather than later so we can attempt to fill the available spot.

If you opt to hold your space with a nonrefundable deposit, the balance of tuition is due within 60 days of the start of your course. Should you need a bit more time, you must let us know prior to the balance-due date or risk losing your deposit and your place in class.

Cancellation policy: The $495 deposit is nonrefundable, although it will be applicable to a future class if an emergency forces you to change your plans. If you pay upfront to get the $250 discount, we hope that you feel quite certain that you’ll attend. Should an emergency arise, all but $495 of your payment will be refunded, and that $495 will be applicable to one later course.

Some books by our faculty: Running, Eating, Thinking, Martin Rowe, instructor for “Veganism and Environmental Ethics,” and featuring an essay from JL Fields, who teaches “When Your VLCE Means Business”; Shark Tank Jump Start Your Business, Michael Parrish Dudell, who teaches “Branding and Marketing for VLCEs”; Always Too Much and Never Enough, memoir from Jasmin Singer, who has co-taught “Animals Rights and Animal Law” with Mariann Sullivan, JD; Vegan Chocolate, from pastry chef Fran Costigan who teaches “The Art of the Food Demo,” and No Meat Athlete, by Matt Frazer, co-authored by instructor Matt Ruscigno, RD, who flies in from Southern California to teach for us when he can.

Graduates Praise Main Street Vegan Academy

Check out blog post from Sayward Rebhal, VLCE, Santa Barbara:

“No words can describe the positive and life-changing experience I had at MSVA! Thank you again for helping me on the path that I feel so passionate about!” ~ Stacy Morris, VLCE, Long Island, NY

“The academy was an incredible experience. All of the speakers were so inspirational and powerful. I was amazed how humble and kind they were and how they were so willing to share. I learned something valuable and different from each one of them.” ~ Vivien Straume, VLCE, Derwood, MD

“Since attending MSVA in June, I’m amazed at how quickly and effortlessly opportunities have materialized for me. I am now doing cooking demos at a local health food store, as well as the Olive Oil Trading Company, which asked if I would up the demos to at least two per month, as they had sellout crowds for my first two.” ~ Linda Voorhies, Sedona, AZ

“Blend professionalism with the generosity of a seasoned and delightful hostess. The result? Victoria Moran’s Main Street Vegan Academy. This terrific 5+-day course in NYC draws on veg-savvy experts who help, guide, and encourage participants to find their own pace to make veganism work best for them, for their clients, and the world. This course is an original – and worth every bit of the time and money you spend.” ~ Carol Schneider, VLCE, Boca Raton, FL

“Victoria’s compassion for animal beings and her clients infuses her instruction with an essence of understanding which enables MSVA graduates, to emerge after a short, productive week, as instruments of powerful change. The success of my clients is a testament to Main Street Vegan Academy.” ~ Nina Hayes, VLCE, Boston, MA

“I’ve picked up three clients coaching clients since graduating from MSVA last month & I loved every second of the course. Thank you for equipping me with great tools and resources.” ~ Cortney Ostrosky, VLCE, Charleston, SC

“I am so excited to share that I will be working as a Humane Educator with the Ethical Choices Program beginning in a couple of weeks! I am grateful for my VLCE certification and the amazing Main Street Vegan Academy – thank you, Victoria” ~ Sally Sanders, VLCE, Tallahassee, FL

A post from one of our male grads, Lynn Price, VLCE, Charlotte, NC, on his blog,CrueltyFreeMe.com

“As someone fairly new to the vegan lifestyle, I thought I’d be in over my head but no worries. This comprehensive course gave me the knowledge and skills I needed to take this to the next level. I’ve never enjoyed learning so much or meeting such inspiring, amazing contacts and friends. I’m truly grateful for the experience.” ~ Lynne Agnew, VLCE, Endicott, NY

Sometimes we even get praise from someone who wasn’t here! “I want to thank you for inspiring my wife, Alice. Her experience preparing for and participating in the Academy was truly transformative. We’ve been together almost 40 years, and I can’t remember when I’ve seen her so focused and so excited. During lunches on our balcony, she’s shared in detail, speaker-by-speaker and activity-by-activity, her experiences. I also read some of the books she was assigned. As a result, the Academy has changed my life, too!” ~ Wayne A. Gilbert, spouse, Denver, CO

"The great news these days is that vegan living is for everyone. This is such an important message, and I applaud Victoria and JL for their beautiful book that will help so many people renew their commitment to a vegan lifestyle or find the courage to take the first steps." - Emily Deschanel